Program Officer, Journalism Initiative

Valid8 Financial, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 167,000 - 201,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid medical, dental, vision

Flexible spending account (FSA)

401(k) with employer match up to 16%

3 weeks vacation per year

Paid time off for holidays

Job summary

The Heising-Simons Foundation invites applications for a Program Officer in its Journalism Initiative, based in the San Francisco Bay Area. This full-time role focuses on strengthening journalism and advancing programmatic goals through strategic grantmaking, partnerships, and thoughtful leadership within the CEO & Board Initiatives team.

Ideal candidates bring 8+ years in journalism, media, and strategic communications, with strong relationship-building, project management, and policy

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in journalism, media, and strategic communications.

Responsibilities

• Develop grantmaking plans and manage a portfolio of grants for assigned initiatives.
• Solicit and screen proposals with clear understanding of Foundation interests.
• Draft grant summaries and rejection rationales when needed.
• Structure grant terms, payments, and reporting timelines; maintain records.

Skills

Relationship building

Strategic thinking

Grantmaking knowledge

Proposal evaluation

Stakeholder engagement

Tools

MS Office

Job description

About the Foundation

The Heising-Simons Foundation is a family foundation based in Los Altos and San Francisco, California, with plans to move to a larger, centralized San Francisco office in 2027. The Foundation works with its many partners to advance sustainable solutions in climate and clean energy, enable groundbreaking science research, enhance the education of our youngest learners, and support human rights for all people. In 2025, the Foundation awarded more than $169 million in grants. The Foundation’s grantmaking is guided by the values of humility, courage, justice, opportunity, sustainability, innovation, relationships, and integrity.

About the Journalism Initiative

An informed citizenry is a precondition for a functioning democracy, and journalism is a mechanism by which that information reaches the public. And yet, the journalism or information ecosystem today faces compounding crises: a broken business model, declining public trust, and a rapid technological transformation that has rendered legacy structures obsolete. Local newsrooms have collapsed at historic rates. The platforms that now distribute information were not built to serve the public interest. And the definition of journalism itself is shifting in ways that demand fresh thinking about what we fund and why.

The Foundation’s Journalism Initiative seeks to strengthen the journalism ecosystem itself and use media as a lever to increase public understanding about issues related to the Foundation’s program areas . The Foundation’s journalism grantmaking focuses on:

Strengthening the Ecosystem — “For the Media”

This track treats journalism as the goal and the informed society as the rationale. It includes:

Advocacy for policy and approaches that lead to new and sustainable revenue models, protect journalism, promote press freedom. Support for nonprofit journalism outlets that hold the powerful accountable (investigative work) and lift up coverage of vulnerable populations underserved by media.

Advancing Programmatic Goals — “Through the Media”

This track uses journalism as an instrument. Rather than funding journalism for its own sake, it funds journalism as a vehicle for moving the needle on our existing issue areas. The Alabama Solution and The Marshall Project offer instructive models: investigative and solutions-oriented reporting that directly advanced public understanding of — and policy response to — a systemic problem we care about. Notably, each of our program directors has already expressed interest in the state of media and in some cases has begun to explore it with existing program funds. There is momentum here that a specialized program officer can channel and amplify.

Journalism is housed within the CEO and Board Initiatives team, which collaborates with the President and CEO and the Board to shape and execute strategic grantmaking initiatives and high-impact convenings across priority areas, including youth housing and journalism. The Journalism initiative is projected to invest up to $7 million in grants in 2026, and possibly more in 2027.

Position Summary

The Program Officer is a collaborative and mission-driven professional with demonstrated experience in, and commitment to, strengthening the field of journalism. As a member of the CEO and Board Initiatives team, the Program Officer contributes to the development and execution of the Foundation’s Journalism Initiative by identifying and engaging key partners and talent, and deploying resources in alignment with strategic priorities.

This full-time (37.5 hours per week) exempt (salaried) position is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and reports to the Director of CEO and Board Initiatives.

Our relationships with grantees and with one another sit at the center of our work. A hybrid model lets us protect that in-person connection and collaboration while still offering flexibility. Beginning April 2027, the Foundation's in-office schedule will move from three consecutive days per month to three days per week.

Who You Are

• You are deeply connected in the journalism field and take pride in building authentic, trusted relationships across organizations and individuals.
• You are committed to identifying, engaging, and elevating new and underrepresented talent in journalism and across public media.
• You are both strategic and practical, able to translate big-picture goals into a clear case for investing in specific people and organizations that drive meaningful impact.
• You have a genuine passion for journalism and a strong belief in its role in a healthy, informed society, which shapes how you approach your work and partnerships.

Primary Responsibilities

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

Program Management

• Develop grantmaking plans and manage a portfolio of grants for assigned grantmaking initiatives.
• Solicit and screen proposals, applying breadth of expertise and a clear understanding of the Foundation’s interests.
• Develop coherent, accurate, and complete summaries of funding and prepare to answer substantive questions about the proposals. If necessary, develop a complete and coherent rejection rationale for proposals that will not be funded.
• Structure grant term, payment, and reporting timelines and maintain up-to-date records through grant termination.
• Partner with Legal and Grants Management to ensure compliance with Foundation policies and IRS guidelines.
• Monitor grant progress by reviewing progress reports, as well as staying in contact with grantees and responding to issues as needed.
• Provide non-financial support to grantees, including advice concerning capacity building, fund development, project activities, and evaluation.
• Conduct site visits to current and potential grantees.
• Stay informed about, and follow up as necessary on, grant-related issues throughout the duration of a grant.
• Work with the Foundation’s Communications team to broaden the impact of the initiative’s grantmaking.

Strategic Direction, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Develop and draft grantmaking strategies and implementation plans based on the approved direction and goals of the Journalism Initiative.
• Monitor progress on approved grants and strategies, including the effectiveness of individual grants and lessons learned to inform refinements to strategies and grantmaking plans.
• Conduct research and analyses to inform the development or refinement of strategic goals and tactics for assigned initiatives.
• Draft memos on recommended strategies, implementation plans, emerging areas of interest, and other developments.
• Keep the President & CEO, Director of CEO and Board Initiatives, and Foundation leadership informed on developments within grantmaking areas.
• Occasionally attend Board meetings to support grant recommendations and periodically review and report to executive management and the Board on the overall effectiveness of funding.

Knowledge & Partnership Development

• Stay abreast of the policy and research landscape for assigned initiatives, including policy and practice issues, emerging trends, and key resource people and organizations.
• Proactively identify key organizations and talent, build relationships, and act as a connector across the broader ecosystem.
• Know the funding landscape, including other funders who support similar projects, and participate in joint efforts with other foundations and affinity groups of foundations.
• Develop a clear understanding of how organizations fit into the Foundation’s and leadership’s priorities.
• Represent the Foundation and assigned grantmaking initiatives to external audiences.

CEO & Board Initiatives

• Work collaboratively as a part of the CEO & Board Initiatives team to support special projects and events, such as International Human Rights Day.
• Serve as a resource to team members on grantmaking and due diligence.
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive, and dynamic organizational culture.
• Participate in Foundation-wide activities, such as committees, internal culture-building, training, and strategic planning.
• Assist with the onboarding and training of new team members.

Requirements

• 8+ years of relevant experience in journalism, media, and strategic communications
• Understanding of the journalism sector, including existing business and revenue models
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, apply a dynamic systems analysis, and translate thinking into clear, logical arguments and actionable recommendations
• Strong research, analysis, and synthesis, with the ability to distill complex ideas into actionable insights and communicate them clearly both in writing and verbally
• Intellectual curiosity, openness to a range of ideas and perspectives, and a commitment to ongoing learning
• Flexibility, humility, ingenuity, and a willingness to pitch in as part of a team
• Ability to work independently and proactively — getting ahead of problems, and taking ideas or direction and developing them into concrete outcomes
• Comfort with ambiguity, managing change, and dealing with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrated ability to develop strategies in collaboration with others and prioritize resources to maximize impact
• Understanding of the grantmaking process and how foundations function is preferred, not required
• Detail-oriented, with proven organizational and project management skills
• A collegial and diplomatic demeanor, excellent interpersonal skills, and a sense of humor
• A facilitative style of leadership and communication
• Integrity and sound judgment
• Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications
• Occasional travel

Compensation and Benefits

The target starting salary for this Bay Area-based position is $167,000 to $201,000 per year, depending on experience.

The Heising-Simons Foundation offers a comprehensive employee benefits package designed to support employee wellness at work and in life. Benefits include employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents. In addition, the Foundation offers a flexible spending account (FSA) for medical and childcare expenses, a 401(k) plan with an employer match of up to 16%, 3 weeks of vacation per year, and paid time off for sick, personal reasons, and holidays.

Application Process

The Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse pool of applicants. Foundation policy prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, military service, legally protected medical condition, reproductive health decisions, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state, or local laws. Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified applicants with disabilities may participate in the application process. Please advise of any special needs or accommodations at the time of application.

Our success is dependent on our ability to build teams that include people with different experiences and expertise who can challenge each other’s assumptions with new viewpoints and bring different perspectives to the team. We encourage women, people of color, formerly incarcerated individuals, immigrants, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and others with diverse perspectives and experiences to apply.

The Heising-Simons Foundation is partnering with Megan Rossi, Talent Acquisition Strategy Consultant, on this search. For any referrals and inquiries , please contact [e-mail] .